


Unicorns

by maraas



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Female Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-16 12:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5829367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maraas/pseuds/maraas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luna held up the picture until she couldn't tell the difference between what was real and what was not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unicorns

Luna Lovegood loved to draw with big, broad strokes of gold, blue, and pink. In her mind she saw a unicorn bathed in gold, galloping across the page with head held high. A willow tree towered over her, its shadow growing larger as the sun sank in the sky. Luna held up the picture until she couldn't tell the difference between what was real and what was not.

Just like her father, she was always very good at knowing what was real, so she thought this picture was very special. So special that she did not hear the approach of footsteps, soft and even as they padded down tall grass.

“What is that?” Hermione wrinkled her nose as she stood behind Luna, peering over her shoulder.

“Oh?” Luna looked up, blue eyes looking dreamy as she batted her eyelashes. “Well if it isn't Hermione Granger. Hello, Hermione!” She patted the grass next to her. “Come have a seat. Did you come to watch the sun set?”

“No.” Curly locks of hair bounced as Hermione shook her head. “I studied not far from here. Curfew is soon, you know.”

“You were?” Luna blinked. “I did not notice----drawing is very consuming, you see. The time ran off with the rabbits and wolves.” She placed the pastels and drawing into an old, worn satchel. When Luna got up, she swung the satchel over her shoulder and smiled.

They began walking together side by side, listening to the distant call of birds as they signaled the approach of night. The Weeping Willow rustled in the wind, an innocent looking thing, but the girls knew better than to stray too close. 

Hermione looked straight ahead with shoulders square whilst Luna looked this way and that, taking in sights that Hermione either found uninteresting, or could not see. “But seriously,” Hermione started, “what were you drawing?”

“You can't tell?” Luna giggled, a soft and whimsical little laugh that sounded much like the birds singing. “It's a unicorn.”

The brunette drew her books closer to her chest and frowned. “It looked like blended splotches to me.”

Her blonde counterpart skipped a couple of steps. “But the essence is what's important. How it makes you feel. What you see is not what I see, but what either of us sees is not necessarily right or wrong. That's beautiful, isn't it? That we can see so many different things from one setting sun.”

Hermione fell silent for a time, eyes casting downward. In early years of muggle school, she'd always been the one to crumple up her drawings. When she spoke she started slowly, choosing her words carefully, as she did not want to hurt Luna's feelings. “I do like to have answers. Arriving at logical conclusions and being able to dissect a problem. Get to its core.”

“But you just expressed yourself and, in a way, that's an art too. Sometimes it can be hard to do that, but when you do more colors come into your life, and you'll start to be able to feel like pink and gold. Warm, nice colors...” Luna trailed off as they stopped outside of Hogwart's tall, stone walls. They both turned to watch the sun sink below the horizon. One stood still clutching her books while the other rocked onto the balls of her feet.  
When only a sliver of golden light was left, Hermione smiled, a bit shy at the conclusion she was about to reveal. “Well, Luna, I liked your splotches. They were quite warm and inviting.”

Luna smiled wide, eyes glinting. “Thank you, Hermione! I quite liked my unicorn, too.”


End file.
